Types of Chlorine Generators
Choosing to have a salt-water system for your inground pool with a chlorine generator is a great alternative—for your health and safety, as well as for convenience and cost-effectiveness—to using a traditional chlorinated pool. However, now that you’ve made the decision to use this method of safely cleaning your pool on an ongoing basis, you have another decision to make: the type of chlorine generator you will use for your swimming pool.
One type of chlorine generator you can use in your salt-water pool is a brine unit. The brine unit does not require the manual addition of salt into the pool because it already contains a predetermined amount of salt, and this unit produces chlorine, which is continuously and readily introduced into the pool through electrolysis. While the brine unit is generally considered to be more convenient because it already contains salt, it tends to be quite messy, and also produces hard-to-clean byproducts, which many consumers find annoying and distasteful.
If you decide against a brine unit, your other option involves a chlorine generator that requires the manual addition of salt into the pool—which basically means you have to add the salt yourself. There are actually two different types of this kind of chlorine generator, which is usually preferred over brine units. In one unit (the inline unit), the cell that produces the chlorine as well as all the generator’s electronics are installed at the equipment site, whereas with the other unit (the deck unit), while the electronics are installed by the equipment, the cell is located in the deck by the pool. The inline unit provides a 24-hour chlorine circulation system in which chlorine is produced as water passes through the cell. The deck unit, on the other hand, produces chlorine even if you turn the pump off, but does not have the circulation system in place.
You can also choose your chlorine generator based on polarity—with either a non-reverse polarity unit, or a reverse polarity unit. The latter is considerably pricier than the former, but reverse polarity units require less cleaning and are designed to cause mineral deposits to flake off the chlorine-producing cell. However, these pieces do tend to get sucked and stuck in the pool’s filtration system.
When selecting your salt-water chlorine generator, you might also want to consider the amount or level of salt present. Because people have a salt taste threshold of 3,500 parts per million, or ppm, you might wish to choose a unit that requires this amount (or less) ppm for your own comfort and preference. Most chlorine generators for salt-water systems need anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 ppm.
Cost is, of course, another factor in determining which chlorine generator you would like to buy. In most cases, expect to fork out a least a grand for a good-quality chlorine generator. Some units cost several thousands of dollars, and while you may find a unit for less than $1,000, make sure that it’s up to the quality level you expect.
Finally, keep in mind that all chlorine generators require care. No matter which type of chlorine generator you choose for your salt-water pool, any and every unit must be properly cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, and your swimming pool’s pH balance must be checked regularly, in order for the generator to function properly and effectively.
